
On Saturday, thousands of Australians marched in protest against public health orders designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The two largest gatherings were in Sydney and Melbourne, cities that were then both under stay-at-home orders amid clusters of the Delta strain of the virus.
While millions of the cities' residents remained indoors or socially distanced, the passionate groups illegally crowded into their respective CBDs as part of a 'Worldwide Rally for Freedom'.
While their motivations for marching varied, it was clear that a significant proportion of those present don't believe what science tells us about the threat of the virus.
They were willing to group together in large numbers, few were wearing masks, and many carried signs and banners pointing to major conspiracy theories about the motivation of vaccines and lockdowns. Many seemingly denied the existence of the virus itself.
Protestors in Melbourne's march on July 24. Image: Getty.
More of these so-dubbed "freedom" marches are planned for this coming weekend. That's despite an ongoing police operation to identify those present at Saturday's event and the promise of a strong police presence and more arrests.
For friends and loved ones of those intending to return or join, it's an alarming prospect.
Not only is there the health threat of them joining a large crowd (and the fact that attendees aren't likely to get tested should they come down with COVID-19 symptoms), there's the chance of them being arrested, the possible displays of violence, the thought of their faces being plastered across social media and news outlets around the world.